Mario Batali Supports Meatless Mondays; Local Vegetarians Go Wild

Molto Mario Batali has joined the Meatless Mondays cause. Learn more about the movement — and find great recipes

Shannon Gallagher

I’m so excited: My favorite yoga teacher (Mary Guip of Yoga Red Hook) announced in a recent class that Mario Batali has jumped on the Meatless Mondays bandwagon. Since every day is a meatless day in my house, it didn’t matter that I didn’t know what Meatless Mondays was, exactly. The fact that a celebrity foodie (and infamous meat-lover) like Mario Batali is publicly involved with a vegan movement is big news.

According to the Meatless Mondays Web site, the movement is an initiative of the Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health. Their goal is to “help you reduce your meat consumption by 15 percent in order to improve your personal health and the health of the planet.” This tradition — a voluntary day without meat — was founded by Herbert Hoover during the first World War and continued by Presidents Truman and Roosevelt throughout WWII. Apparently Batali isn’t the only celebrity to get involved; other famous Meatless Mondayers include Jessica Simpson and Padma Lakshmi. Dozens of schools, restaurants, and corporate food providers have embraced this grassroots vegan movement.

This is easily one of the best things I’ve heard in awhile. I believe a meatless diet is not only the kindest and healthiest way to feed your body (and soul), but also the kindest and healthiest thing for our planet. The factory farming of meat is one of the biggest perpetrators in terms of carbon emissions and ground water pollution. By cutting out meat and dairy at least one day every week, you can reduce your family’s carbon footprint, and get really excited about vegetables again.

Green Living Tip of the Week: Even if you’re willing to go meatless one or two days a week, when you do eat meat, try to consume only what is locally and humanely raised. There are plenty of Hudson Valley farms that raise and slaughter their own animals. Find a list of Valley farms and the meat they offer at the Hudson Valley Food Network. Not convinced going meatless is right for you? Learn more about factory farming from Organic Consumers here.

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About This Blog

Shannon Gallagher

Rhinebeck, NY

Dutchess County native Shannon Gallagher is a contributing editor for Hudson Valley Magazine. An erstwhile thrill-seeker, these days she courts disaster of a different variety wrangling a spirited toddler, honing her vegan baking skills, and chasing the ever-elusive work-family balance. She teaches Pilates and does fascial bodywork, and lives in Rhinebeck with Coraline, a cat named Otie, and Sushi the Fish (named, of course, by the toddler).